Premiere of Börje Peratt's film - The Doctor Who Refused To Give Up

MAY 26 · 2016

Review by Kersti Wistrand

“So, it’s finished. The documentary about Dr Eric Enby illustrates the persistent struggle of a lone pioneering researcher’s ongoing battle for his theories against the front line of those who epitomise the old paradigm coupled with the misuse of its powers by authority. This shocking thriller about what happens behind the scenes unfolds before our eyes, becoming a powerful wake-up call.

On the flimsiest of grounds, Erik Enby, on his retirement, has his licence to practise revoked to prevent him continuing his work. The decision is based on slander and gossip and the initial investigation is not pursued but his licence has not been re-instated. His research has subsequently been paralleled in other parts of the world but in Sweden he is faced with a non-scientific attitude; not being seriously listened to, or able to conduct his research within the accepted medical framework.

Driven by a deep-seated sense of justice, director, scriptwriter and producer Börje Peratt began filming just a year ago, having been persuaded by Ulla Premmert, who promoted the book about Erik Enby’s life. Peratt had noted that the Sceptic movement VoF was deeply involved in the story. Vetenskap och Folkbildning (Science and Education of the Public) is an organisation which has become known for the persecution of those with differing views to its own and the awarding of Förvillarpriset (The Prize for Deceit); this is used as a way to frighten off researchers, journalists and others who hold opposing views.

The film has been financed through ‘crowdfunding’ (monies donated by sympathisers); this only covered a portion of the costs. Börje Peratt and his film team have taken a principled stand, donating their services to the value of over one million Swedish kronor. The crowdfunding was organised by Siv Wernborg, Gothenburg, who had previously been employed in the pharmaceutical industry. About fifteen years ago, Siv was diagnosed with malignant melanoma and the prognosis was that she had two months to live. In addition, surgery was required, involving the removal of half her face and probably one eye. She had heard of Erik Enby and resolved to promote Erik Enby’s methods if she recovered. She has recovered and kept her promise.

In the prologue, Peratt made it clear that he, as a journalist, was open-minded and free from prejudice and expectation and that he wished to interview those who were opposed to Enby. One of the foremost of these, Professor Dan Larhammar (former Chairman of VoF), declined to be interviewed and wrote that the film was angled even before production had commenced.

I didn’t know that Börje Peratt could handle the sword of justice so masterfully! He behaved like a male Goddess of Justice with calm, balance, acumen and impartiality. It was impressive to get various events shown from different perspectives, e.g. the kerfuffle in a hospital corridor! Furthermore, Dr Enby meeting the love of his life, Gunnel, her polio leading to his research, which I had only known a little bit about; patients’ reports about the road to recovery from chronic disease and the slander some of his colleagues, Professor Dan Larhammar, VoF, a desperate father who had lost his daughter, journalists and lawyers were responsible for, thus preventing Dr Enby in his research as well as in his work with patients.

A system rotten to the core which can be compared with the Greek myth about the many-headed Hydra, which, from its home in the swamp, poisons the world with its breath and spreads terror and death.
Peratt can be likened to a modern day Hercules; as Hercules destroyed the Hydra by cutting off its heads one after another, so Peratt is exposing and destroying the many facets of corruption shown in this film. The accusations which led to the revoking of Dr Enby’s licence to practice are brought into the light of day; all these accusations are shown to lack factual basis and are exposed as groundless.

Comments from the audience:
• – Thank you Börje, for a forceful and important film! You were brilliant in the interviews, particularly with those reluctant or unable to respond.

• – The film was a powerful experience; this was particularly noticeable in the responses from the audience.

• – I must repeat: I am incredibly, incredibly, incredibly impressed by you and your team!!! The film you have produced is a master piece; all those involved can be justifiably proud of their contributions!

• – I can appreciate that it wasn’t easy to envisage how to tell this complex story. However, as an experienced pro, you have explored all possible avenues. There are numerous scenes showing documents and microscopes. However, the sections of text as well as the carefully-worded ‘amateur’ approach to the questions help make it easy to follow. Personally, I thought that particularly the opening and the latter sections, showing the couples love story and their close relationship were successful. Enchanting in themselves and an important reminder of what was to become the life-long driving force for Eric’s work. Here we meet two strong individuals, battered but not broken. I felt that the actor (Josefin Karlsson) who portrayed the young Gunnel was outstanding. Then we have the couple’s own comments, laced with their dry sense of humour, ironic wit and zest for life. This is in complete contrast to the description of them as fanatics that their protagonists would probably use. Now it became the latter who stood out as being feeble, with the prize going to lawyer A. I wish the film every success. (It was lawyer A, IVO, who reported Erik Enby based on false accusations made in a radio programme.)

• – The film was superb, thank you Börje Peratt!!!! I have followed Dr Enby’s story for many years and now I got the whole picture. Bullying, cowardly and ignorant journalists with a hidden agenda, Aschberg – as bad as all the others, doctors who have no memories, IVO which uses film obtained secretly…

• – 10 years of harassment, licence revoked, media witch-hunt, police raid, 19 months of investigation (abandoned), a complete lack of interest in Dr Enby’s knowledge and experience analysing blood for causes of illness. Then his wife Gunnel dies, the one for whom he fought (polio) all those years. Saw the film yesterday – ANGRY!!!!

• – Who is this Dan Larhammar who was able to initiate and remain the driving force behind a media witch-hunt of Dr Enby for more than 10 years? To get the media, including 18 journalists at Expressen, to dance to his tune? Who used falsified data, manipulation of grieving relatives and grave distortion of events, which led to the revoking of Dr Enby’s licence? Who is, apparently, behind slanderous statements in radio programmes where journalists fail to check their sources to establish the truth? How can ”Kropp och själ” (Body and Soul) (April 2014) broadcast serious inaccuracies, later used to justify a police raid, where a computer and patient records were ceased and the arrest of Dr Enby on Christmas Day! AND the Socialstyrelsen (The National Board of Health and Welfare), IVO (Health and Social Care Inspectorate) and HSAN (The Medical Responsibility Board)! It is wonderful to get all this exposed and explained. Thank you Börje Peratt!

• – A film that is both sensitive and forthright in its investigation. The interviews at the end could perhaps have been shortened. Lawyers are bound by law and not allowed to comment. [However, the lawyer did comment extensively in the radio programme “Kropp och Själ” and the aim of the interview was to get him to explain himself.]

• – I bow my head to you. You really are the Orson Wells of documentaries – meticulous, accurate, dramatically correct, while at the same time to the point, dramatic and exciting! It is an honour to have been present at this premier and to be able to witness some of Erik’s fantastic life, the joys and sorrows. I do hope that one day he gets the recognition he deserves.

• The film includes dramatised reconstructions of the life and love-story of Erik and Gunnel Enby. It shows Dr Enby’s research, the resistance he faced, together with face-to-face interviews and recorded telephone conversations. Several interviews were conducted with patients suffering chronic illness, some declared to be hopeless cases but who had improved or even recovered. In addition, there are conversations with other doctors, journalists, lawyers and representatives of various authorities, all of whom had been involved in the persecution and ostracising of Dr Enby.

• It was simply love that led to Erik Enby’s decision to become a doctor and the driving force in his life-long research into chronic disease. In his teens, Erik attends a function at Svenska Kyrkan (the Swedish church) and we witness the beautiful moment when the couple’s eyes first meet and love blossoms. A few months later, 16-year-old Gunnel is paralysed with polio.
Despite this, their love survives, leading to marriage and a son. At the end of the film we are once again in church, where Erik says his moving farewells to his beloved Gunnel, whose life ended in early 2016 after almost 60 years together. The final scene takes us back to the moment when, as teenagers, their eyes first met. The circle is complete. Love conquers all. Not a dry eye in the house.

The Aim of the Film
• The aim of the film is two-fold – firstly to present Dr Enby, his research and career as a doctor, together with the slanders and calumnies he endured.

• Secondly to expose the multi-headed monster, an organised power spreading its tentacles with the goal of infiltrating Swedish science, higher education, all branches of the media and even Swedish schools, where creative thought is stifled. All this takes place outside the knowledge of the general public. With freshly opened eyes we can now collectively begin to put a stop to and destroy this obnoxious monstrous creature enslaving us. In Börje’s own words this is about ”The right to freedom of thought, the right to good health, the right to do research and the right to treat patients with successful natural remedies.”

• A considerable amount has already been written about Dr Enby’s research and life’s mission in Humanism och Kunskap (Humanism and Knowledge) and also in NewsVoice. I want to mention one section of the film which I found particularly interesting. It seems that, in over 30 years of research, Dr Enby has discovered that unknown microbial lifeforms such as parasites and fungi multiply in body fluids and tissue and move throughout the body via the blood, causing infections and chronic illness.

• An initial research project, accepted by The Ethical Committee in Gothenburg in 1983, was prevented by colleagues who refused to allow Dr Enby to take simple capillary blood test from the fingers of patients. Apart from the kerfuffle over these tests, he was subject to a Lex Maria (Patient Safety Law) report and confronted with newspaper headlines “Dr Dracula sneaked into the hospital and stole blood from cancer patients.”

• He had only managed to get two drops of blood – legitimately. Following this event, Dr Enby continued his own research.

• In April 1994, Dr Enby lectures on blood infections and leads workshops on the subject at the first World Cancer congress at Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia, where he receives appreciation and acknowledgement of immunologists.
Later, Dr Enby is visited by a woman from the USA. She has a large open wound from underlying breast cancer, from which Dr Enby extracts a sample; a video-recording of the procedure is made (1994). Microscopic examination shows that the sample is swarming with micro-organisms, which seem to be mycotic. Dr Enby is interested but needs more samples; however, he is refused permission to obtain samples in Sweden. An Indian colleague, Dr R S Couhan, who had come from the UN to study Dr Enby’s research, travels back to Madras and returns with a small suitcase filled with samples from cancer tumours. Under the microscope, all the samples turn out to be teeming with the same type of micro-organisms. They write an abstract for the 14th World Congress of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Montreal in September 1994, to which they travel. The presentation takes place but no comments are made and nothing is reported in the papers. No-one dares speak up in a field where the pharmaceutical industries have the monopoly. Dr Enby’s research and repeated successful treatments with vitamins and minerals constitute a threat. And what would be the future for blood transfusions?

• All subsequent attempts at research in Sweden have been stopped. As recently as 2016, Professor Mats Wahlgren (Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm) belittles and dismisses Dr Enby’s discoveries, stating that his approach is not scientific. This is years after Dr Enby had been authorised to carry out research on his discoveries relating to blood. Journalist and editor Karl Beijbom states that a scientific approach implies being prepared to listen to all aspects and theories of science, and to accept the results. Sadly, the medical establishment shows no interest, an indication of a less-than-scientific standpoint.

• Peratt sought an interview with Professor Milan Stehlik, who is a European colleague with a positive view of Dr Enby’s research. However, Stehlik was silenced by this many-headed “Hydra” and so declined an interview, despite having previously agreed.
Anyone should have the right to carry out research and test their methodology, particularly as similar research has been carried out in other countries. But… in Sweden Dr Enby’s research has been blocked at every turn.

• Dr Erik Enby was licenced and has spent his entire working life in Gothenburg until his retirement in 2004. In 2001, Professor Dan Larhammar (then Chairman of VoF) commences what became an on-going witch-hunt against Dr Enby. On 7th December 2005, there is a synchronised attack from three directions: a campaign against “the quack Enby” on the VoF Forum, an article by Professor Larhammar in Expressen “It is deeply unethical” as well as an article about the fatally ill Siv who had died. In 2006, the witch-hunt continues with a further frontal attack against Erik Enby. TV3 and Robert Aschberg send a “false patient,” a woman who says she suffers from breast cancer, to see Dr Enby. For over two hours, she tries to convince him of the diagnosis but without success. In 2006, 58 papers launch further persecution of Dr Enby, accusing him of being a fake and blaming Dr Enby for the death of a woman who had committed suicide – a year after visiting him. In all, the woman had been to 12 different doctors for her breast cancer, refusing any hospital treatment. Having been diagnosed 14 months earlier, she came to Dr Enby, who urged her to have surgery. He signed a “sick note” for her, which her father later alleged was a certificate confirming her good health. The media, fuelling the witch-hunt, used the father’s statement without any attempts to verify its accuracy. The following year, 2007, after his retirement, Dr Enby had his licence revoked.

• During the making of the film, Börje Peratt conducts an interview with the prosecutor Johan Udén in Gothenburg, who refuses to answer any questions. It is likely that, because of his position as a lawyer, he is not allowed to comment. A reconstruction of the police raid, which Udén had authorised, is posted on Youtube. Two weeks later, the investigation is abandoned. However, Dr Enby has still not had his licence re-instated.

• The next screening of the film will be in the evening, this time in Gothenburg 2nd June at Bio Roy at 18.00. It looks likely it will be a full house.